Adventure vs Adv. Open Water PADI Course

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adam61

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I got certified as PADI OW last year. I went back and inquired about continuing my education towards Advanced open water. The instructor advised me although the class exists they don't offer it anymore and only do adventure diver. They said it was pretty much the same thing and you could continue right on to rescue diver with either course.

Is this something new for PADI? Why have 2 concurrent classes that are so similar?

Also as a side question the 3-5 specialty dives you do for Adventure or AOW is that the complete or partial specialty or do you have to completely start over if you want to do the deep diving specialty later for example?

Thanks for your help, just a little confused with the change.
 
I got certified as PADI OW last year. I went back and inquired about continuing my education towards Advanced open water. The instructor advised me although the class exists they don't offer it anymore and only do adventure diver. They said it was pretty much the same thing and you could continue right on to rescue diver with either course.

Is this something new for PADI? Why have 2 concurrent classes that are so similar?

Also as a side question the 3-5 specialty dives you do for Adventure or AOW is that the complete or partial specialty or do you have to completely start over if you want to do the deep diving specialty later for example?

Thanks for your help, just a little confused with the change.

Adventure Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver both are within the "PADI Adventure Diver Program"

Certification Requirements
For Adventure Diver, student divers meet performance requirements:
• Complete three Adventure Dives.
• Complete the three Knowledge Reviews for the completed Adventure Dives.

For Advanced Open Water Diver, student divers meet performance requirements:
• Complete five Adventure Dives including Deep and Underwater Navigation.
• Complete the five Knowledge Reviews for the Adventures in Diving Program

They are not really "similar" but rather one is a subset of the other. A diver might choose Adventure Diver if
- they didn't want to do five dives
- they didn't want to do deep and/or nav
- they were taking their time; you can get Adventure Diver on your way to AOW

The "Adventure Dives" are all "Dive 1" of the associated specialty class, and could count towards that specialty. However, most instructors would probably have you repeat that dive if you enrolled in the full specialty course. Especially if you didn't do the Adventure Dive with them. This is to your benefit; in my experience few instructors/shops discount the specialty class based on Dive 1 having been completed, plus you get more experience/instruction.
 
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The Adventure/AOW dives are like a sample platter of full specialties. You do the first dive of the actual specialty course. So on the Deep you would not have to repeat Dive #1 of the Deep course. I always repeat it just a review for the student and to ensure that all of the materials (extra non-required curriculum) that I want to cover has actually been covered.

With the Adventure Course the student/instructor picks three Adventure specialties. With AOW the Student/Instructor picks three specialties and the required Deep and Navigation Adventure dives are the 4th & 5th.

For Rescue either course will work but you must have the Navigation Adventure Dive as one of your specialties.
 
That seems weird to me, it could be they have no one certified to teach AOW.

PADI has had both programs so some folks can get their training on their time schedule, the bigger question is why your Dive shop does not offer both programs.

AOW gives deep experience, and allows you to go on boats that require the card to allow deeper diving. An Adventure Diver card may not, and since deep is not necessary for Rescue, I would guess it is not on their list.

You can use the Adventure or AOW as the first dive in the specialty, it is not the complete specialty.

If I were you, I would start looking for another instructor, and you don't have to restrict yourself to PADI.



Bob
-----------------------------------------
That's my point, people, by and large, are not taught that diving can be deadly, they are taught how safe it is, and they are not equipped with the skills, taught and trained to the level required to be useful in an emergency.
 
I got certified as PADI OW last year. I went back and inquired about continuing my education towards Advanced open water. The instructor advised me although the class exists they don't offer it anymore and only do adventure diver. They said it was pretty much the same thing and you could continue right on to rescue diver with either course.

Is this something new for PADI? Why have 2 concurrent classes that are so similar?

Also as a side question the 3-5 specialty dives you do for Adventure or AOW is that the complete or partial specialty or do you have to completely start over if you want to do the deep diving specialty later for example?

Thanks for your help, just a little confused with the change.

It's not the same thing, but it's close.

Adventure dives are experience dives. You can see it as a cafeteria model of dozens of different specific activities that might appeal to some, but not all, divers. They aren't included in the core diving course (OW) because they do not generally include core diving skills. There are some "skills" dives but you can see those mostly as refinements or augmentations to your core skill set.

For the advanced course there are two exceptions. you MUST take deep diving and you MUST take navigation. PADI would seem to think (and I would agree) that these skill sets are important if you want to push boundaries.

.... then there are specialties. These are just experience dives with a little more practice (usually double the in-water time).

What you NEED for Advance OW is "deep", "navigation" and three other "experience" dives. There is a lively and legitimate debate in the sector if this really makes you an "advanced" diver, with a great many instructors (myself included) siding on cautious side. I would personally say it makes you an advanced beginner..... I won't personally give AOW anymore unless someone wants to do 5 full specialties... .but then again, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. :)

R..
 
Also if you choose, Deep and/or UW Navigation Adventure dives, these could be your apart of the three Adventure Dives for Adventure Program...I agree with Bob, why not offer AOW?
 
Out of curiosity, what is the price difference between the two? I know different shops may charge different prices but just wondered in general.
 
5 adventure dives and AOW should theoretically cost about the same. There will be a small difference because shops will need to cover PADI expenses for an additional certification. Any other differences in price will have to do with charging more for the perceived added value of AOW over 5 adventure dives.

R..
 
I got certified as PADI OW last year. I went back and inquired about continuing my education towards Advanced open water. The instructor advised me although the class exists they don't offer it anymore and only do adventure diver. They said it was pretty much the same thing and you could continue right on to rescue diver with either course.

Is this something new for PADI? Why have 2 concurrent classes that are so similar?

Also as a side question the 3-5 specialty dives you do for Adventure or AOW is that the complete or partial specialty or do you have to completely start over if you want to do the deep diving specialty later for example?

Thanks for your help, just a little confused with the change.

Tell your PADI shop that you want an AOW c-card so you have decided to shop around. Then do shop around.
 

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